An improved rotary brush for use in deburring apparatus is described. The brush is particularly suited to the small volume and large part complexity of the aerospace industry.
Several automated deburring systems exist in the prior art. However, the general status of the art is best presented in the book, "Deburring Technology For Improved Manufacturing", authored by LaRoux K. Gillespie, published by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, One SME Drive, P. O. Box 930, Dearborn, Mich., 48128, Copyright 1981. This text discloses methods used either separately or in combination including: use of power driven brushes, vibration with abrasive media, flap wheels, buffing with Scotch-Brite pads and use of hand held devices. There is probably no particular process which will handle all applications. For any particular application the objective is to reduce labor costs and to provide an efficient and reliable means of deburring the machine edges of the component parts.
Catalog 280, Copyright 1980 available from The Osborn Manufacturing Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio lists a multiplicity of the brushes currently used in deburring and finishing machines. The prior art in abrading, brushing, finishing, polishing, scrubbing and general cleaning is disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,653,340 to Cave; 3,032,931 to Eversole; 3,241,172 to Tilgner; 3,547,608 to Kitazawa; 3,605,347 to Barry; 4,078,905 to Oya; and 4,377,878 to Pecora. Relevant foreign patents include: Canada No. 527,791; No. 136,789--Japan; and No. 766,145--Great Britain.
These prior art brush deburring machines generally utilize brushes wherein the sharp tips of the filaments do the work. Use of large diameter, short filaments closely packed together make this type of brush more effective. Faster velocities make this class of brush more effective.
My invention utilizes a different concept. First, I make use of a rotary brush having nylon bristles filled with abrasive particles. Second, the free length of the bristle filaments are sufficiently long and hence flexible to provide the brush with a capability to conform to the irregular and contoured surfaces of the large structures found in the aerospace industry. Thus, in contrast with the prior art systems which utilize brushes having bristles which cut predominantly at the ends thereof, my system utilizes a brush having long flexible bristles which are displaced so that a wiping action rather than a tip cutting action occurs. The available prior art brushes are not able to accomplish this wiping action task in a cost effective manner.